Livedrive Review

To find the right online backup service to safeguard your data, you need to consider the amount of space that is available and the features that are supported. If you have a large number of files to preserve, the best bet is to get a service that will not put limits to the amount of data you can backup. This allows you to accumulate files without worrying about running out of space. Livedrive is a provider that aims to help you to keep all your data accessible and secure. Individual and Business users alike can benefit from the services that Livedrive offers and there is a variety of options tailored for different requirements. Find out more about Livedrive in this review and confirm if it is the most suitable solution for you.

Getting Started

Livedrive is a well established online backup and sync storage solution from j2 Global, a company with an extensive experience in communication services. Livedrive has a strong customer base around the world and it has been dedicated to provide convenience and peace of mind while securing your data. With Livedrive, you can make sure that your files are protected and available whenever you need them. It is important to note that unlike other providers who include backup and syncing abilities in the same plan, Livedrive splits these options in different packages.

If you are looking for a traditional online backup service without limits, Livedrive has a plan specifically designed for that. Users who need to access their data from any device, would need to opt for the package that offers this feature. This means that you can pay only for the services that you actually need, instead of getting everything in a bundle. The most basic plan (called simply Backup) offers an unlimited amount of space for $8 per month, $84 if you pay in advance for one year (this is $7 / month) and $144 (which reduced the monthly price to just $6 / month) if you opt for a 2 year subscription.

Although the basic plan only allows you to backup one computer, you can add more for $1.50 per month. Alternatively, you can upgrade to Livedrive Pro Suite, which supports unlimited backup capacity for up to 5 computers. You can pay $25 per month for this plan, or extend the subscription for a full year and pay $240, which is $20 per month. If you want to have Livedrive Pro as your long-term backup solution, you can pay for $456 for 2 years, which means that the monthly price would be just $19. If you need support for more than 5 computers, you still have the option to pay an extra monthly fee of $1.50 for each of them.

For users who need to get access to their files from any device and while on the go, Livedrive offers a plan called Briefcase. This option provides 2TB of space that can be used for storing your files in the cloud. With Briefcase, you can sync your data between your devices and share files with friends and family. Since Livedrive is compatible with multiple platforms (Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android and Windows Phone), you can enjoy videos, photos and documents at home or on the go, any time you need them. Briefcase works as a disk drive within your computer and everything your copy is saved in your Livedrive account and you can access the files on any devices connected.

Livedrive Briefcase is also included in the Pro Suite plan, where its capacity is extended to 5TB. If you are only interested in syncing your data, you can opt for the standalone Briefcase plan for $16 per month, $156 per year (which is $13/month), or $288 for 2 years, which reduces the monthly cost to just $12 per month. If you only subscribe to the Briefcase plan but require more than the 2TB that it offers, you can add up additional space, paying $8 per month for each 1TB extra. Livedrive also has plans for Business users that require features like central admin management, multiple users, high storage capacity and cloud collaboration. Livedrive also offers 14-day free trials that allow you to check the plans before purchasing a subscription.

How Does it Work

Most online backup services strive to offer an easy to use software and Livedrive is not the exception. It is possible to set up the program in only a few steps and although the initial backup can take some time to complete, you can continue working on other tasks without any issues. You can let the tool know which data should be backed with Livedrive and all the files you backup will be uploaded to your online account. The data in the initial backup will be included in the regular backups, but you can add new folders to the backup task. To back up a folder to Livedrive, you can right-click the context menu in Windows Explorer, which makes the process quite easy.

It should be mentioned that you can only backup folders, which means that it is not possible to choose specific files. Furthermore, Livedrive doesn’t backup every file type you may need. Certain file extensions are not included in the backup process and data like temporary files, cookies, virtual machine files are not be supported. Another aspect to keep in mind is that Livedrive only keeps the last 30 versions of a file, meaning that it is not an ideal option if you are looking to archive older edits of your data. This may not be a deal breaker for most users, but it is worth considering before choosing Livedrive as your backup service.

If an on-going backup is taking much longer than expected, or if you simply don’t want to backup that particular file, you can pause the process whenever needed. While uploading speeds depend also on your network and computer, Livedrive offers an effective performance and you can manage the amount of bandwidth used. In general, there are not file size limits, but it is important to note that web uploads in Briefcase are restricted to 2GB. The mobile apps are a practical way to access to your data as you can enjoy music and videos with the built-in player. To help you protect your files, Livedrive uses top grade 256-bit encryption to transfer your data and to store it securely in the cloud.

Customer Support

You can find useful information on Livedrive’s website and since the service is very easy to use, you are not likely to have major issues while setting up or using the service. However, if you need to contact the support team the only option is the ticket system. While many users would prefer to have faster ways to get assistance such as live chat, all emails are answered within 24 hours by Livedrive’s highly skilled team. Plus, the FAQ section and knowledge base are packed with guides that can help you in most cases.

Conclusion

Livedrive gives you flexibility to choose the plan that offers the functionality that you need. You can stick to a traditional backup plan, choose a package that only supports file syncing/sharing or combine both. While the customer support options are limited and some features can be improved, overall Livedrive is a convenient service to backup as much data as you want.